Abraham M. Halpern
Encyclopedia
Abraham "Abe" Meyer Halpern (February 20, 1914, Boston, Massachusetts—1985) was a linguist and anthropologist who specialized in Native American Languages. In the wake of World War II
he initiated a second career focusing on United States foreign policy, especially in regard to China
. Late in life he resumed studying and publishing on the languages of California.
. He went on to receive his B.A. from Harvard College
, and to do graduate research at Harvard, the University of California, Berkeley
, and the University of Chicago
.
. In 1935, in a project funded by the California State Emergency Relief Administration, he undertook to supervise the compilation of a dictionary of the Quechan language
(also formerly known as Yuma) of southern California and Arizona
. (However, the dictionary was not completed as the funding organization was dismantled and replaced by the Works Projects Administration.)
At this point, on the suggestion of Kroeber, Halpern transferred to the University of Chicago to study under Harry Hoijer
. He would carry out extensive linguistic fieldwork on Quechan, resulting in his Ph.D. dissertation, the first published grammar of a Yuman language. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1947.
Kar?úk: Native Accounts of the Quechan Mourning Ceremony, a study of a traditional Quechan ceremony
, was edited and published posthumously.
of Northern California
in 1936, and again in 1939 and 1940. Much later in life he returned to the study of the Pomoan languages: he made field recordings of three of the languages in the 1980s: Central
, Southern
, and Southeastern
languages.
Among the speakers he worked with in the 1980s were Pomo basketweaver
Elsie Allen
.
when he organized the teaching program in the Civil Affairs Training School in Chicago, together with his first wife Mary Fujii Halpern. This project became Halpern's entrée into the world of international relations, which became a second career. He went on to carry out work on international relations at several institutions, including the Carnegie Institution and the RAND Corporation, where he published extensively on China
and Asia
. Later he worked at the Council on Foreign Relations
in New York
.
He assumed the position previously held by linguist Robert A. Hall
at the Civil Information and Education Section of GHQ/SCAP
in Japan
, where he promoted the adoption of the phonemic
Kunrei-Shiki style of romanization of Japanese
(rōmaji), and supervised studies on the feasibility of widening the use of romanization in Japan.
.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he initiated a second career focusing on United States foreign policy, especially in regard to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Late in life he resumed studying and publishing on the languages of California.
Early life and education
Halpern was born in Boston, where he attended Boston Latin SchoolBoston Latin School
The Boston Latin School is a public exam school founded on April 23, 1635, in Boston, Massachusetts. It is both the first public school and oldest existing school in the United States....
. He went on to receive his B.A. from Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
, and to do graduate research at Harvard, the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, and the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
Quechan
At Berkeley Halpern studied under Alfred L. KroeberAlfred L. Kroeber
Alfred Louis Kroeber was an American anthropologist. He was the first professor appointed to the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, and played an integral role in the early days of its Museum of Anthropology, where he served as director from 1909 through...
. In 1935, in a project funded by the California State Emergency Relief Administration, he undertook to supervise the compilation of a dictionary of the Quechan language
Quechan language
Quechan, also known as Yuma, is the native language of the Quechan people of southeastern California and southwestern Arizona in the Lower Colorado River Valley and Sonoran Desert....
(also formerly known as Yuma) of southern California and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. (However, the dictionary was not completed as the funding organization was dismantled and replaced by the Works Projects Administration.)
At this point, on the suggestion of Kroeber, Halpern transferred to the University of Chicago to study under Harry Hoijer
Harry Hoijer
Harry Hoijer was a linguist and anthropologist who worked on primarily Athabaskan languages and culture.He additionally documented the Tonkawa language, which is now extinct...
. He would carry out extensive linguistic fieldwork on Quechan, resulting in his Ph.D. dissertation, the first published grammar of a Yuman language. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1947.
Kar?úk: Native Accounts of the Quechan Mourning Ceremony, a study of a traditional Quechan ceremony
Quechan traditional narratives
Quechan traditional narratives include myths, legends, tales, and oral histories preserved by the Quechan people of the lower Colorado River area of southeastern California, southwestern Arizona, and northeastern Baja California....
, was edited and published posthumously.
Pomoan
He first worked on the Pomoan languagesPomoan languages
Pomoan is a family of endangered languages spoken in northern California by the Pomo people on the Pacific Coast. According to the 2000 census, there are 255 speakers of the languages...
of Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
in 1936, and again in 1939 and 1940. Much later in life he returned to the study of the Pomoan languages: he made field recordings of three of the languages in the 1980s: Central
Central Pomo language
Central Pomo is one of the seven Pomoan languages spoken in Northern California. It is currently an endangered language, with fewer than 10 speakers...
, Southern
Southern Pomo language
Southern Pomo is one of seven mutually unintelligible Pomoan languages which were formerly spoken by the Pomo people in Northern California along the Russian River and Clear Lake. The Pomo languages have been grouped together with other so-called Hokan languages...
, and Southeastern
Southeastern Pomo language
Southeastern Pomo, also known as Lower Lake Pomo, is a Pomoan language of Northern California. It was spoken along the eastern coast of Clear Lake, in Northern California.-External links:...
languages.
Among the speakers he worked with in the 1980s were Pomo basketweaver
Basket weaving
Basket weaving is the process of weaving unspun vegetable fibres into a basket or other similar form. People and artists who weave baskets are called basketmakers and basket weavers.Basketry is made from a variety of fibrous or pliable materials•anything that will bend and form a shape...
Elsie Allen
Elsie Allen
Elsie Allen was a Native American Pomo basket weaver from the Cloverdale Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California in Northern California, significant as for historically categorizing and teaching Californian Indian basket patterns and techniques and sustaining traditional Pomo basketry as an art...
.
Work in International Relations
Halpern became involved in the teaching of the Japanese languageJapanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
when he organized the teaching program in the Civil Affairs Training School in Chicago, together with his first wife Mary Fujii Halpern. This project became Halpern's entrée into the world of international relations, which became a second career. He went on to carry out work on international relations at several institutions, including the Carnegie Institution and the RAND Corporation, where he published extensively on China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Later he worked at the Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
He assumed the position previously held by linguist Robert A. Hall
Robert A. Hall
Robert A. Hall, CAE, served five terms in the Massachusetts State Senate.-Background and Military Career:Hall was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1946, graduated from Collingswood High School, Collingswood, NJ in 1964, and joined the Marine Corps that summer. He served four years from 1964 until 1968,...
at the Civil Information and Education Section of GHQ/SCAP
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the Occupation of Japan following World War II...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where he promoted the adoption of the phonemic
Phoneme
In a language or dialect, a phoneme is the smallest segmental unit of sound employed to form meaningful contrasts between utterances....
Kunrei-Shiki style of romanization of Japanese
Romanization of Japanese
The romanization of Japanese is the application of the Latin alphabet to write the Japanese language. This method of writing is known as , less strictly romaji, literally "Roman letters", sometimes incorrectly transliterated as romanji or rōmanji. There are several different romanization systems...
(rōmaji), and supervised studies on the feasibility of widening the use of romanization in Japan.
Archived work
Halpern's field recordings are archived at the Berkeley Language Center, and his documentary work is archived at the Survey of California and Other Indian LanguagesSurvey of California and Other Indian Languages
The Survey of California and Other Indian Languages at the University of California at Berkeley documents, catalogs, and archives the indigenous languages of the Americas...
.